A new video has been posted by the Princess of Wales, explaining that she has very sadly been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the Palace issued a notice sharing that the Princess had undergone a planned surgery and would be recuperating at home, out of the public eye, until at least April.
This comes just a month after King Charles III also shared publicly that he has received a similar diagnosis (he also did not specify which kind of cancer).
In the video, which is captioned 'A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales', Kate begins by saying she wants to take the opportunity to say "thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support" she's received.
The Princess then went on to say, "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had a fantastic medical team. In January I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous."
She continued on to say, "The surgery was successful, however tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I'm now in the early stages of that treatment."
Understandably, the Princess said, this came as a huge shock.
"William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment, but most importantly it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate and to reassure them that I'm going to be okay."
As for her prognosis, the Princess explained, "As I've said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focussing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirit."
She also took a moment to praise her husband, saying, "Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both."
Again, Kate took the time to ask for her privacy respected. "We hope you'll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment."
Looking to the future, the Princess noted that her work has always brought a "deep sense of joy" and said she's looking forward to getting back to it when "she is able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery".
She concluded her moving video message by saying she was thinking about all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. "For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone."
On 17 January, the Palace shared an initial announcement with regards to the Princess' health, explaining she had undergone "planned abdominal surgery" and asked for privacy during her recovery, for both her sake and that of her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince William was seen visiting his wife during her time at the London Clinic.
Unfortunately, as we'll have all no doubt seen, instead of affording the Princess her requested privacy, social media users generated countless possible conspiracy theories about Kate's whereabouts (despite the Palace making it plain that she would be recovering out of the spotlight and was dealing with a health issue).
Twelve days after the initial announcement of her surgery, a follow up statement explained that the Princess had made her way home and was grateful for the support she'd received from the London Clinic's team. "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress," it began.
"The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided," it continued. "The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."
Our thoughts are with the Wales family during this tough time and we're sending our best wishes to the Princess.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
